Album



(No Model.)

M. E. SWAIM.

ALBUM. No. 344,331. Patented June 22, 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTIJR= gidww ffww 7 N. PUERs, PholvLnhognpher, Wnnhingum,u. c,

UNITED STATES MARY E. SIVAIH, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

D ANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

ALBUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,331, dated June 22,1886.

Serial No. 131,672. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVIARY E. SWAIM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Album, of which the following isa specification.

The primary object of my invention is to produce a leaf or supportrecessed on one side to receive a tress of hair or similar object, andprovided at its base with a web on which to secure such object, theother side of said support having a card-opening in register with thetress-receiving recess, whereby the card will protect and form a supportfor the web, and preserve the same from fracture.

A second object is to make said leaf or support in two sections, eachhaving coincident openings, the one being larger than the other, thesection having the smaller opening having a web of textile fabricsecured to its rear side and covering said opening, said sections beingsecured back to back, and a third section secured on the section havingthe larger openings, and apertured, leaving a portion of the sectionextending slightly beyond the edge of the larger opening to form a ledgefor retaining the card in place, whereby in use the card will act as asupport or shield for the web, as more fully hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of onesection of leaf, showing annular recesses for the reception of tressesof hair, with the same simply arranged and attached, and bordered spacesbeneath for writing names or reference. Fig. 2 is an elevation of theback of one section of leaf, showing places for the reception of cardsof any suitable size or description. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionthrough leaf, showing internal construction and arrangement.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, a is a sect-ion of leaf with beveled openings; 1), beveledopenings; 0, spaces for names; (I, tresses of hair; 6, fastenings of thesame; f, Web.

In Fig. 3, g is a section receiving cards or photographs.

In Fig. 2, his a section securing cards or photographs; 5, openingsthrough which cards or photographs are seen; j, cards or photographs,showing one partially drawn out; 7;,

slits through which to insert the cards.

In Fig. 3, a represents a section of one leaf of my album. I make thissection by taking thick paste or straw board and cut any desired sizefor leaf. Through this I cut the openings 7), which may be of anydesired size, shape, and number. I prefer to make the openings b in anannular shape, with a bevel sloping inward toward the center. This bevelmay be embellished in gilt or finished in any other ornamental way. Theface of section a should be covered with some fine ornamental paperbefore the openings are cut, so as to hide the coarse exterior of thepaste or straw board of which it is made.

Over the entire surface of the back of section a, I paste or glue thewebf, thus closing the openings 1), and forming the receptacles for thetresses of hair. The web f should be made of silk or some other strongsuitable material, to obviate the liability of being torn out, and tomore easily and firmly attach the hair thereto.

In Fig. 3 section 9 represents a thin piece of paste or straw board,which I cut the same size as section (I, having openings cut a suitableshape for the reception of cards or photographs, and to match in numberand position those in section a. The section 9 I then paste or glue uponthe webf, and upon section g I paste or otherwise firmly attach sectionh, Fig. 3, which should be made of stout paper, with openings 1 a littlesmaller than those in section 9, the size of which are shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 2. Section h should also correspond in size withsection a, and should be provided with slits Io, through which to insertcards, as in the ordinary mode of photographic albums.

The foregoing comprises the manner in which I construct one leaf of myalbum.

In forming an album any desired number of these leaves may be used. Iprefer to arrange the leaves in the album with the sides to contain thehair face to face, and between each of these faces I bind one or morethin leaves of paper suitable for writing upon, which may be ruled andbeautifully ornamented, these to be used for writing the names of theperson from whom the tresses were cut, and any record, biography, or memorial in connection therewith. The leaves throughout may be arranged asdesired in position and number, and bound together either with a doublehinge back or in any other practical way for binding thick leavestogether.

The thick section of leaf, as shown. by a, b, and f in Fig. 3, may bemade very ornamental and used separately in frames or upon easels, todisplay tresses of hair in family groups, with spaces for records of thesame. After arranging the hair in simple form or in flowers and leavesto suit the taste, it is then securely fastened in the receptacles bysewing through and through to the webf, or it may be fastened with theinvisible annealed wire with which the hair or flower is woven. By thisarrangement I provide an easy method to fasten in the hair, which can betaken out or changed with but very little trouble, and when the cardsare inserted they serve the purpose of concealing the fastenings. Thecards or photographs also serve in the use of the invention to protectthe tress-supporting webs from fracture, either by pressure on the frontor rear sides thereof, as will be understood.

Having thus fully described my invention, what'I claim to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a leaf or support, substantially asherein described, recessed on one side to receive a tress or similarobject, and provided at the base of such recess with a web on which tosecure such object, and provided on itsopposite side with acard-retaining opening, said card-opening and tress-receiving recessregistering, whereby in use the card will protect the tress-supportingweb from fracture, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a leaf or support, substantially as hereindescribed, of a section having an opening, I), an intermediate weboftextile fabric secured to the inner face of section a. and over theopening 12 therein, and a layer or section, g, secured against thehairsupporting web, and provided with card-openings, the section hextending beyond the edge thereof, whereby to secure the. card therein,said opening being arranged in register with the tress recess or openingin the section a, as and for the purposes specified.

- In testimony whereof [have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARY E. SWAIM. Witnesses:

HIRAM -P. BLACKBURN, T. HOWARD SWAIM.

